


Mine

by Flufferdoodle



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Namelessshipping, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, originalshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24878284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flufferdoodle/pseuds/Flufferdoodle
Summary: Blue can't find his words anywhere.
Relationships: Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red
Comments: 21
Kudos: 178





	Mine

Blue scowled at the mirror, craning his neck over his shoulder. The mirror, however, only showed his plain back and shoulders, dotted and marked by a handful of worn scars and bruises. He turned back around to examine his chest, neck, and arms once more. Nothing.

Next, he stripped off his pants to study his legs and feet, checking the insides and outsides of his knees, ankles, and toes. Still nothing. Next, the underwear. Unfortunately, his bare butt held no new markings.

He checked his phone again – maybe he had the date wrong? But that was impossible, he’d been counting down for months. He turned sixteen today.

Maybe – maybe it was under his hair? Or maybe he was born in the evening. Gramps had said he was a morning child, but, well, Gramps could be wrong? This was sixteen years ago, after all. He might’ve been thinking of Daisy.

Shakily, he pulled his clothes back on. He’d have to ask Daisy to search his scalp. Trying to figure out how to word the request, he slouched and shuffled down the stairs, the normally annoying creaks and groans of the ancient floorboards floating right past his head. The words had to be under his hair somewhere, or on the back of his neck, or behind his ears, or…

“Blue! Blue, what did you want for brunch? Sorry I couldn’t get here earlier – or did you already eat breakfast?” Daisy’s voice was melodious and light as always. “We can head to that new diner in Viridian. Dodsy can take me. He can almost keep up with your Pidgeot.”

Blue shrugged and looked up. Daisy had cut her hair short again, so that it barely touched her shoulders. Her heels made her almost as tall as her younger brother, and Blue wondered for a moment at what age he finally grew past her. He smirked.

“You know me, sis, I’ll eat anything. You know where Gramps is?”

“Ah, I think he said he’d join us… Have you checked his office?” She pulled out her phone. “Hm. No texts. And I thought he was supposed to get back from that Sinnoh conference last weekend…”

“Typical, forgetting his grandson’s birthday,” Blue rolled his eyes. “I’ll go check his office in a minute. But, uh, first…” He dropped his gaze. “Um.”

“Um?”

“Uh, when your, uh, words appear… where did they show up?”

He could feel Daisy grin even as he stared at the ground.

“Oh! Did yours show already? I guess you were born early in the morning. Mine were on the side of my ribcage. What were yours?”

Blue shrugged. “I dunno, couldn’t find them. I’m worried they might be on my head or something, or maybe I was actually born later.”

“Huh. Well sit down, let’s see what we can find. Here, I’ve got a grooming comb somewhere, and a razor if it comes to-“

“Whoa, whoa. No. We’re not going to shave my head.”

Daisy laughed. “You never know! We might have to. Here, let’s see what we got. Were you able to check your back?”

“I know how to use a mirror, Daisy.”

“Armpits?”

“Yes.”

She smirked. “Butt?”

“ _Yes,_ can you please check my head now?”

“A please! Wow, you really are all grown up now, aren’t you?” Daisy laughed as Blue dropped into a kitchen chair. “Hmm. This may be a while, your hair’s almost as thick as mine.”

Blue let his eyes close as his sister slowly combed through his hair, appreciating her grooming training. Maybe she should open her salon to humans as well as Pokémon; she certainly wouldn’t lack any customers. She’d cut his hair for as long as he could remember.

“Blue, I’m not seeing anything. Are you sure you checked everywhere? Could be between your toes or something weird.”

“I checked everywhere.”

“Even under-”

“Yes.”

Daisy frowned. “Well… Hm. I’ll go wake Gramps and see if we can find your birth certificate. Maybe you were born later than I thought.”

Blue shrugged as Daisy made her way upstairs, heels clacking and floorboards creaking.

This wasn’t the problem he expected to have.

-line break-

Red watched as Charizard flew laps overhead, his poképhone screen glowing in his lap. He wanted to check, but it’d be dangerous to strip in the cold and he had no idea what time he had even been born. Some part of him felt it had to be the evening, if Blue was born in the morning. He’d spent their childhood one step behind until they started their journey.

He wondered what Blue’s words were. Maybe he’d come up sometime soon and tell him – Blue came up shortly after their shared birthday last year, one of the few times he had bothered to make the trek as of late. No doubt Blue’d brag about whatever beauty he was destined to be with. Maybe Blue would be with Misty – they certainly matched each other in fire and passion.

Red hoped he’d be able to find his words. He only had a small mirror and his phone to search his back: hopefully they’d show up somewhere more accessible.

Then again, maybe he wouldn’t get any words.

He was a hermit, after all. And mute. Why should he get any words when he had never said any?

He froze.

How would his soulmate find him if he never said anything? He would have to say something at some point, right? They’d have to have words somewhere.

Unless he didn’t get a soulmate, like he originally thought. He wasn’t sure what he’d do with one. Sure, he didn’t plan to live on this mountain forever, but he didn’t really have… He didn’t have much to offer another person, really. Unless they wanted fame. He had plenty of that to share. Or give, preferably. Red certainly had no use for it anymore.

Red wasn’t sure if he would like someone who would want his fame, though. He’d never been a fan of people hogging spotlights. But then again, he liked Blue, and the words never lied.

Would Blue keep climbing Mt. Silver after he found his soulmate? Only Blue, Gold, and Lyra ever came up, and Gold had been slacking off with that as of late. Lyra was planning on travelling to Alola this summer, too.

Sure, Red had spent the first few months up here completely devoid of human contact, but it wasn’t like he was hoping that’d happen ever again. He loved his Pokémon dearly, but seeing a friendly face once or twice a month kept him going. He could survive the loneliness as long as he needed to, but that wasn’t what he wanted.

He leaned back into the snow and embraced the sensation of the cold pushing through his thin jacket into his skin. Some part of his mind wondered what it’d be like to feel warm instead.

-line break-

Blue, Daisy, and Professor Oak stared at the birth certificate, which proudly stated he had been born at 6:26am that morning sixteen years ago.

“And you checked-” the Professor began.

_“Yes!_ ”

“No, really. Have you checked under your-”

“I studied every square centimeter of my body when I woke up this morning at seven, and again just now while you two searched for the certificate. I checked _everywhere_.”

Daisy sighed. “Maybe it was a typo, Blue. Let’s check again at 6:26pm, okay? Now, I’m hungry, and that diner closes their brunch menu in two hours.”

-line break-

“Hey, happy birthday you dunce,” Lyra stated, towering over the sleeping Red. He blearily opened his eyes. Lyra huffed. “Learned last week from Blue that you two share a birthday today. I thought you might be more appreciative of the company today than him, but maybe I should’ve left you napping.”

Red blinked.

“Yeah, yeah, try to contain your excitement. Gold’s on his way too, just slow as ever.”

“I’m _slow_ because I’m carrying the gifts!” Gold shouted.

Red pushed himself up to a sitting position and Pikachu scampered up from behind him, a berry leaf stuck by static to his cheek. Lyra chuckled and Charizard melted a spot on the snowy ground for her to sit as Gold caught up. The black-haired teen looked at the dragon pleadingly, but did not receive the same courtesy.

“C’mon Charizard, I brought you a gift too,” Gold begged. “Why does Lyra get a clean spot? She’s a total-“

“You sure you wanna finish that?”

“Fine. Fine. I’ll just have Ty do it.” He dropped his bag and released Typhlosion, who made a show of complaining before clearing the snow for Gold as well. Charizard huffed. Typhlosion huffed louder.

“Hush, both of you,” Gold muttered. “Alright, Reddy boy, we got you a cake that Lyra dropped, so don’t blame me for the frosting smudged all over the box. It was supposed to look like a master ball, not that you’d ever know by the looks of it now.” He pulled out a box, and grimaced at the frosting oozing out of the corners. He gingerly opened the lid, revealing a very mangled mess of purple, blue, and white.

“It wasn’t smudged that badly from me dropping it! That’s all from it jostling around in your bag, since you couldn’t be bothered to cushion it-”

“Well, maybe _you_ should’ve carried it then!”

Red smiled as they bickered. He wondered what their first words to each other were; no doubt, those would be what revealed themselves on their sixteenth birthdays.

-line break-

Blue had been prepared for a lot of scenarios. He was prepared for some common string of words that he’d heard a million tiny variations of before. He was prepared for a foreign language. He was prepared for something someone must have mumbled, that would take ages to remember and identify. He was prepared for something profane and disgusting that he wouldn’t be able to share aloud with anyone (but Red). He was ready for so many things.

He was not ready for nothing.

Eight o’clock, they’d had sushi and flan, he’d opened his new laptop, he’d searched his body again. Daisy even checked his scalp again and looked over his back. Nothing.

He looked at his reflection, sullen reflected eyes meeting his gaze. It wasn’t in his iris, was it? That wasn’t possible.

What was wrong with him?

Naked, shivering in the bathroom, Blue searched his body once more, desperate to find words. Something. Anything. Literally anything to show that he had a soulmate.

That he, too, was worthy of love.

Daisy knocked gently on the bathroom door. “Hey Blue, I need to go before the last train leaves today. Happy birthday, okay? I know you’ll find your words eventually. And I expect you to visit when you do! I want to help you with your search. Keep me updated.”

Blue stayed silent. Daisy sighed.

“Come on. One hug before I go, Blue.”

Blue pulled on a pair of pants and opened the door, and Daisy gently wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

“There’s someone out there for you, Blue. I know there is. You’ll find them.”

“Yeah,” Blue muttered.

“Have some faith, okay? And remember, I’m just a phone call away.”

“…Thanks, Daisy.”

“Of course. Of course, Blue.”

-line break-

Red saw the word appear at sundown, just as Gold and Lyra were packing up to leave.

They say it’s impossible to guess what may show up, but this definitely took him off guard. The dark, thick lines made the short word impossible to miss across his wrist.

“Whoa, Reddy boy looks spooked,” Gold noted, looking up from his bag. “You see a ghost?”

“Is it your _words?_ ” Lyra asked.

Red paused before sticking out his hand, cheeks flushing a bit as Lyra and Gold huddled over it.

**MINE**

“Huh. Must be a possessive bastard, then. Maybe it’s for the better you’re hermitting up here,” Gold mused before Lyra sharply elbowed him.

“You remember anyone saying that to you, Red? Looks pretty, uh, strong. Not like someone mumbled or anything.”

Red shook his head, pulling his wrist back to his body to study it more.

“Only one word. That’s supposed to be good luck, right? Your soulmate’s so unique that they only had to say one word to stand out from the rest,” Lyra continued. “Bummer you don’t remember, though. Can’t be too many people to have introduced themselves with something similar.”

Red shrugged.

“Well, we oughtta be off. Best of luck on your… search? Are you gonna search for them? Gonna be kinda hard to do from up here,” Gold said. “Also, how’s anybody going to find you? Have you… have you ever actually said anything?”

Red shook his head again, hunching his shoulders.

“Interesting. Well, fate’s got a way of working things out, right? Maybe they’ll get, like, I dunno, some grunt noises or something on their arm. I guess I never thought about mutes with soulmates. Stay safe, Red. And let us know if we can help you with your search.’

Red nodded, waving without taking his eyes off his word.

**MINE**

-line break-

Blue stopped by Red’s mom’s house the next day. She always felt extra lonely on his birthday, and with him turning sixteen… she must be dying to know what Red had.

She answered the door, tired face breaking out into a grin at the sight of Blue. The faint smell of fresh pie drifted through the house.

“Oh, Blue! Come inside! How was your birthday? Did you get your words?”

Blue forced a smile back, stepping through the threshold into the kitchen. “I… Yeah! Yup, it was a great day.”

“That’s wonderful! Oh, oh, I shouldn’t ask, but what-“

“You know it’s bad luck to share, Delia,” Blue bluffed. Delia sheepishly laughed.

“Yes, I suppose it is. But I do… I do wonder what Red’s are.”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?”

“Have you seen him recently? I hope he isn’t too cold up on that mountain.”

“He’s been up there four years now, I think he’s adapted. But no, it’s been a few months. I’ve been, ah, busy with the lab and gym and all.”

“Of course! Of course. I appreciate just knowing that anyone’s going up to see him even occasionally. But, I mean, if you have the time soon, would you mind checking on him? I got him a birthday present. I texted him yesterday and he responded, so I mean, I know he’s alive and you don’t need to rush or anything, but I always like to know that he’s doing well and I want him to have this and-“

“I can go this weekend.” The gym could stay closed a couple more days, right? “I gotta see his words, too, y’know?”

“I thought you just said that was bad luck, you josher!” Delia laughed. “Here, I’ll go get his gift. It’s light, I promise! Not too much to carry up that mountain!” She disappeared into the back hallway, returning moment later with a small, neatly wrapped package. It felt soft underneath the paper.

Blue would bet good money it was a red scarf with one of Red’s many Pokémon embroidered at one of the ends.

“I can’t believe it’s been sixteen years already. Fourteen since you two met, you know! I still remember your introduction.“ Delia ushered him into a seat. “Here, can I get you anything? I just finished a pecan pie, it should be almost cool.”

“Pie sounds wonderful. And really? How’d that go?”

“Oh, well, you know. We had moved in months before but Red had been so sick. Your mother invited us over, and Red, barely walking, had immediately grabbed one of your dolls-”

“Hey Delia, you saying I played with dolls?”

“Shush,” she laughed, gently whapping Blue with a dish towel. “You all had dolls. Everyone plays with dolls as a kid.”

“I kid, I kid.”

“Yes, I know, dear. Well, Red grabbed one of your dolls, and you got so mad! You marched right over, babbling away, and fell, and Red panicked and dropped it. It wasn’t until we put you both to nap that you started getting along! Why, we put you in Daisy’s bed and chatted, and by the time we had to wake you both for dinner, you had your arms all the way around Red! It was the cutest thing. Gosh, I wish we had these phones back then with the cameras. It would’ve made a cute picture.”

Blushing furiously, Blue shoveled his pie slice into his mouth. Delia smiled at him.

“You two were always so close. I do wonder about his soulmate, though. He has never been able to speak. What shows up on their skin? He’ll never be able to, either, unless he gets surgery down the road, but I don’t think he would, and then I guess if he said something to someone younger now it’d show up… but I don’t think that’s plausible. Do you, Blue? Call me a doting mother, but I’ve thought about this a lot, you know?”

Blue felt his stomach drop to his knees. Suddenly, the pecan pie felt like a mistake.

“Yeah… Well, uh, Delia, thanks for having me over. I have an early morning tomorrow if I’m going to make it up Mt. Silver. I’ll see you, uh, later.”

Delia watched with amusement as Blue all but fell out of his chair and sprinted out the door.

-line break-

_Of course_ , Blue thought as he climbed Mt. Silver. _Of fucking course._

He hadn’t responded to Lance’s message, demanding to know why the gym was still closed, or to Daisy’s about that article she found on wordless soulmates. He hadn’t even bothered to read anything sent by Gold or Lyra.

He didn’t know what else he really should’ve expected. How the hell had he not realized this before? How did he fail to consider his _mute friend’s soulmate situation_ his entire life? How had this never, ever crossed his mind?

Was this what he wanted?

-line break-

Red stared at the sky, Pikachu napping on his chest. The snow soaked through his jacket as always. Snorlax snored nearby, Charizard and Lapras curled at his side.

He’d been having more lazy days as of late. He held up his arm to admire his wrist again.

Maybe… Maybe he should head down soon. If someone was waiting for him, maybe it’d be worth it.

His Pokémon would need a change of scenery, anyways. Training in the same conditions day in and day out, no matter how harsh, would give them a disadvantage anywhere else. He’d known for a while that there wasn’t much more he could get out of training up here.

Leaving just seemed so hard. Lonely, even. Here, the solitude was all by choice, but down there…

How could he handle being surrounded by people again, yet never being seen?

He had no delusions about how his inevitable return would pan out. Four years on Mt. Silver left him more than terrified of being confronted with strangers. Where before new he felt fine navigating new people and even used to quietly explaining his muteness, he hadn’t had to consider any of that in years. He met two people since ascending Mt. Silver, and both of them were trainers, like him, who understood him and his life.

Not everyone outside, in the real world, would do the same.

But if he really had a soulmate somewhere, looking for him, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. And his mom had to miss him. He hadn’t had her cooking since he was twelve.

Red considered getting up and packing his things, but Pikachu’s light snores convinced him to wait just a bit longer.

-line break-

“YOU ASSHOLE,” Blue roared the second he made it to the peak. “YOU COMPLETE, UTTER, _DICK_!!!”

Pikachu growled as Red sat up, confused about what Blue could be roaring about now.

Maybe Blue’s words were someone talking about Red? That would be enough to piss anyone off, really.

Red watched Blue march towards him, waiting for what would come next. But Blue didn’t stop until he was on top of Red, Pikachu hissing and sparking at his side, knees on either side of Red’s hips with Red’s back pushed against the ground once more, hands pinned above his head.

Blue must be pissed. Not that Red minded.

“I was MISERABLE on my birthday,” Blue growled. “I woke up and looked _everywhere_ for my words. Everywhere. But. I couldn’t find them.”

Oh.

“What were your words, Red? What’d they say?”

He should’ve known.

“What was the first thing I said to you, Red?”

Red struggled , but Blue didn’t seem to notice, wild eyes fixated on Red’s.

For a moment, they did nothing but breathe.

Red pulled at his hand, gently this time, and Blue hesitantly let go, eyes settling on the single, dark word on his wrist.

**MINE**

Blue’s eyes squeezed shut, and Red gently lifted his hand to caress Blue’s face.

“Yeah,” Blue whispered, voice suddenly soft. “Yeah, you _are_ mine, aren’t you?”

Red nodded once, hand pushing through Blue’s hair to pull his face down to Red’s, close enough to make their foreheads touch.

“Did you know? When you saw your word?”

Red shook his head.

“I thought – Red, I thought I didn’t have anyone. I thought the world somehow screwed up, and I didn’t have a soulmate.”

Tears trickled from Blue’s cheeks to Red’s as their noses brushed together.

“Of course it’s you, though, isn’t it? It’s always been you. You stupid fucking mute. Jesus. This isn’t what I was expecting. Was this what you were expecting?” Red shook his head.

But somehow, anything else would seem wrong.

-line break-

It wasn’t until they reached the base of the mountain that Blue remembered Red’s birthday present. Feet firmly planted in the young grass of spring, Red carefully picked at the tape of his mom’s handiwork, meticulous as ever.

Blue, to some degree, was right. It was a scarf. And it had some red, and all Red’s Pokémon.

But it also was blue, with Blue’s team embroidered in the red, and Red’s team embroidered in the blue.

Because of course Red’s mom knew, Blue mused. Why wouldn’t she? Why wouldn’t it be painfully obvious to the doting mother of a lonely son that his one good friend, so good they shared a birthday, a childhood, a journey, and a championship title, would be his soulmate?

When she saw Red’s word, days later, she would just chuckle and tell the story once more. Red wrapped in Blue’s arms the day they met, snuggled away in Daisy’s bed.

And now they found themselves in that same position every night.


End file.
